of revivals, unquestionably, admits of no object in preaching, but this last. Let a man stand up in a season of refreshing from the presence of God, and attempt to preach with any other object in view, and though he should speak with the tongue of an angel, his discourse would be as "vinegar upon nitre" to the subjects of the heavenly influence. Let ministers, even our very holiest ministers, consider also their general manner of life, and see whether that has no influence on revivals of religion. In their plans of action, in their daily reading and thinking, in their prayers in the closet, their prayers in the family, their prayers in the church, in their private walks and conferences with individuals, in their general mode and style of living, in the habitual temper and frame of their minds-have they nothing quite uncongenial with the spirit of a revival; nothing with which that spirit cannot coalesce; nothing which they must reform, before they can have good reason to think themselves fit instruments for the Holy Spirit's use in revivals? Ministers, it is to be feared, have, in too many instances, misapprehended or perverted the doctrine of the Spirit's agency in producing revivals of religion. They have seemed to think, not only that the Spirit must work, but work miraculously, not with, but against means; not by employing instruments suited in their own tendency to bring about the desired end, but only such instrumental influence as he must resist and overcome, or be himself defeated-a deplorable error, which appears to have so inwrought itself into the religious philosophy of many, that a miracle almost seems necessary to deliver them from its power; and yet so palpably an error, that the infatuation which keeps them in subjection to it, is a mystery. There is no law of nature more invariably followed than that, in revivals of religion, cause precedes effect, appropriate means are used to attain ends. There is in these noblest of God's wonders, a peculiar and admirable exertion of the divine power, but they are not miracles; and so to conceive of them is to be blind to their true excellence, and to the obligations and responsibilities in which they involve christians, and especially ministers of the gospel. Let any just account of a genuine revival which has been given, be intelligently examined, and it would be an astonishment never before heard of, if no instrumental causality could be discerned, suited in all respects to produce the precise state of things related. The history of the day of Pentecost, given in the second chapter of the Acts, contains indeed the record of a miracle, and that miracle answered its purpose; but that purpose was not the revival, but the fitting and furnishing of the instruments of the revival for their work. The men who, on that day, "were pricked in their hearts," and fled

for refuge from a sense of guilt to the blood of Christ, had no other emotions than such as the spirit and discourse of the disciples of Christ were adapted to excite. And so of all the other early successes of the gospel. See the ministers of those days, sacrificing their all, and without thought of their life giving themselves wholly to prayer and the ministry of the word; night and day, publicly, and from house to house, warning every man, and teaching every man, and that with tears; striving according to His working, who wrought in them mightily; and say, whether their success was without an appropriate instrumentality. The like connection between means and ends is equally observable in the narratives of modern revivals; there are unusual triumphs of the gospel, and there are measures on the part of the ministry and churches not less unusual. Why is it that many ministers do not understand this matter? Why do they stand wondering that the gospel is so restrained; that there are so few conversions; that the effusions of the Spirit are not every where descending? There is nothing to be wondered at, but that ministers should be looking for revivals, while they themselves are strangers to the spirit of revivals, and are so living from day to day, that revivals would be almost miracles if they should take place.

It needs the example of such a man as David Brainerd, to show ministers what manner of spirit they should be of, if they would exert no influence unfavorable to revivals of religion. He went alone into the midst of a savage people, and though ignorant of their language, was there but a short time, before a revival occurred by his means, as remarkable as any of those which have since succeeded in our land. That revival was a wonderful work of the Holy Spirit, but it was the effect, instrumentally, of a spirit and labors on the part of Brainerd exactly adapted to produce it. Let ministers study such an example to learn whether they have a right to the appellation of revival-men. How many are there, now bearing, and it is supposed worthily bearing that appellation, who, under the light of such an example, would cast themselves into the dust before God, as, in the present state of their minds, opposed to revivals; and by such prayer, and fasting, and deep dealing with the Searcher of hearts, as Brainerd was wont to practice, seek a fresh humiliation of soul-a fresh renewal and quickening in the spirit of their minds.

III. To obstacles arising from the character of the ministry, there are correspondent obstacles in the character of the particular churches of which they have the charge.-The churches of our land, in reference to revivals of religion, are variously distinguished. In some, the great, the rich, and the fashionable of the world, have so much the control, that no calamity would be more unwelcome to them, than a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Others are, in their own conceit, too enlightened and liberalized to be capable of, what to them appears, such pure fanaticism as a religious revival. Others are not unwilling that sudden and extensive awakenings should prevail in the churches that desire them, but for themselves, they prefer the gradual and ordinary influences of the Holy Spirit. Others deeming no spirit so excellent, as zeal for orthodoxy, are afraid of the influence of revivals on their old standards of faith, and so hold them in suspicion, if not in worse esteem. Others on the contrary, overpowered by the spirit of party, long for nothing so much as an increase of numbers, and set themselves against true revivals, by contrivances designed to awaken their assemblies into a great animal excitement, as a fruitful means of proselytism. It needs no proof that particular churches, of each and every one of the classes now alluded to, are but so many masses of obstruction to those remarkable displays of saving power, which we intend by the phrase, revivals of religion. We do not deny to these churches, the right of true membership in the general body of Christ; nor are we without the hope that the advance of gospel light in this day, especially by means of revivals, will soon exchange their opposition to these richest of God's gifts, into earnest desire for them; but it was impossible in thoroughly searching out obstacles to revivals, to overlook the existence or the state of such churches.

But now let us look at churches of the other description--such as are not characteristically adverse to revivals of religion,-in these also, mighty hindrances may be found. Some of them are composed of diverse materials, part old, and part new; part on various accounts opposed to revivals, and part earnestly desirous of them; giving rise to conflict and alienation, in respect to the use of revival means and proceedings, and thus effectually excluding revival triumphs and blessedness. Others of the churches now referred to, have advanced so far in reformation, under the power of the spirit of the age, that they welcome the using of means for a revival, to a certain extent, but not all the needful means, and none of them perhaps with the requisite urgency. They will favor the proper kind of preaching, as far as doctrine is concerned, but not apostolical closeness of application, and plainness, and boldness, and directness of appeal to the conscience of every individual hearer. Or if they will endure such preaching, they will not endure the after methods of particular inquiry and prayer, by which the favorable impressions of truth may be brought to a good issue before the tempter has time to efface or prevent them. These things are too much like pulling men out of the fire, and taking the kingdom of heaven by violence, to be endured by many half-awakened In some churches other difficulties exist. They

churches.

are not unfriendly either to revivals of religion, or to the requisite instrumentality; but an unhappy difference between them and their pastors, or personal disputes and contentions among themselves, are a root of bitterness which poisons, in respect to them, the wells of salvation. Or they are churches that have long neglected discipline, and their vigor and fruitfulness are impaired, and the influences of grace withdrawn from them, by means of the pestilential example of scandalous members. Or they are churches, with whom, whatever may be their professed attachment to revivals, the Holy Spirit has a controversy, because they refuse to come up to the help of the Lord by their cheerful concurrence in works of love; taking little interest in the temperance movement, and those other high projects of benevolence which distinguish this age, and which will not fail, by God's blessing, to convert the world, if duly sustained by christian faith and liberality.

There are yet other churches not free from obstructions. They have been distinguished as scenes of revivals, and have now no objection to revivals, and present no manifest hindrance to them in their external state. They are supporters of the benevolent societies; they have not neglected discipline; they have no contentions; they are favorable to the most pungent strain of preaching, and all the appropriate means of revivals, and it may be, maintain in some sort, the use of those means; but they have backslidden in heart, they have left their first love; and while all is well in respect to outward action and profession, there is a weariness, a faintness, a secret indisposedness towards the work of the Lord, in the spirit of the people; and they do in some measure force themselves, in their revival operations. Now such a state of things, is no more a preparation for a revival of religion, than a state of open opposition to a revival. Nay, there is something peculiarly repugnant to the very spirit of true religion, in this constrained and heartless show of zeal. Its only tendency is to hardness of heart, both in its subjects and in its objects. Perhaps in no circumstances, is the work of spiritual induration, in saints and sinners, going on so rapidly as when a church puts forth great vehemence in action, without proportional vehemence of true love-the overflowing of gracious affection in the heart. All force is hurtful to the human mind, and chiefly so in matters of religion, where freedom has her throne and the glory of her empire. The free Spirit of God cannot but resent such injurious violence, as an affront to himself, whose cause it pretends to be subserving; and withdraw himself from a people who have kindled a strange fire in his temple, and have assumed the province of the divinity, rather than that of his dependent and helpless worshipers. Such churches therefore, should not glory over others, but rather strive to abase themselves

lower than all others, in the sight of God and man. Let them esteem themselves, as they truly are in their present spiritual state, not as favorable, but eminently adverse, to a genuine outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Let them remember from whence they have fallen, the tenderness, sofiness, and fullness of their affection in former revivals; and how their words and their works in those days, were as flowing streams from a redundant fountain; and by renewed humiliation of spirit, let them regain their former gracious elevation, and do their former works; and then may they confidently hope and expect that the Holy Spirit will descend upon them again, as rain upon the mown grass, and as showers that water the earth.

IV. The remaining class of hindrances embraces those which arise from the character of former revivals.

Though the advances of the kingdom of Christ have always. been chiefly by means of revivals, as Edwards has remarked, yet manifold imperfections have mingled themselves in these benign products of the Spirit of grace, and in the whole history of revivals, we shall in vain seek for one entirely faultless. We shall here extract from the work of Edwards on revivals, a passage, for whose length we make no apology, notwithstanding the familiarity of our readers with that work; since we deem it at the same time so seasonable and of such diamond value, that there can be no danger of its being read again without interest. "The weakness of human nature has always appeared in times of great revival of religion, by a disposition to run to extremes, and get into confusion; and especially in these three things, enthusiasm, superstition, and intemperate zeal. So it appeared in the time of the Reformation very remarkably; and even in the days of the apostles. Many were exceedingly disposed to lay weight on those things which were very chimerical, giving heed to fables.* Many, as ecclesiastical history informs us, fell off into the most wild enthusiasm and extravagant notions of spirituality, and extraordinary illumination from heaven beyond others; and many were prone to superstition and will-worship, and a voluntary humility, giving heed to the commandments of men, being fond of an unprofitable bodily exercise, as appears by many passages in the apostles' writings. And what a proneness then appeared among professors to swerve from the path of duty, and the spirit of the gospel, in the exercise of a rash, indiscreet zeal, censuring and condemning ministers and people; one saying, I am of Paul; another, I am of Apollos; and another, I am of Cephas. They judged one another, for differ

* 1 Tim. I. 4. & IV. 7. 2 Tim. II. 16, 27. & Titus I. 14. & III. 9.